


Strawberry Skies and Starlight

by SongsOfAdelaide



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: After School Hangouts, Alternate Universe - Future, Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Confessions, Crushes, Established Relationship, Estrangement, F/M, Falling In Love, First Meetings, High School, High School Romances, Holding Hands, Homecoming, Implied Relationships, Jealousy, Literal Sleeping Together, Love Confessions, Matchmaking, Meet-Cute, Milk, Nosebleed, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Sleeping Together, Sleepovers, Smoking, Swimming Pools, Texting, University, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23626387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SongsOfAdelaide/pseuds/SongsOfAdelaide
Summary: Dreams soaked in the sweetness of honey and strawberry lemon tea with a side of starlight to guide you on your way home. || A series of Karasuno Volleyball Club x Reader ficlets.✧[Latest Chapter: ✧ Licorice Hearts | Ukai Keishin]— It was a reckless thought, but you needed a bit of a thrill right now and this man looked like one hell of an adventure.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Reader, Ennoshita Chikara/Reader, Kageyama Tobio/Reader, Karasuno Volleyball Club & Reader, Karasuno Volleyball Club/Reader, Sawamura Daichi/Reader, Tsukishima Kei/Reader, Ukai Keishin/Reader, Yamaguchi Tadashi/Reader
Comments: 19
Kudos: 156





	1. Yellow Lotus || Tsukishima Kei

**Yellow Lotus**

\-- ✧ --

_**Golden** _

You tried it a lot of times and never really got a reaction from him, but the tides have turned now that you got him where you wanted him. 

"Kei-chan."

You called out to him with the most sickeningly sweet voice, his name drenched in honey. It almost felt like you were dripping with it as well. 

While Tsukishima wasn't the most expressive person to begin with, you knew for a fact that he reciprocated your feelings simply because he followed you back to your house even though it was against his good judgement. It was then you finally ascertained that he was curious enough about what goes on in your head whenever he was around. 

"If you're doing this on purpose, you probably really are mean-spirited like everyone in my club says."

 _Harmless_ , he thought. It was supposed to be a harmless visit. But there was nothing harmless about how your parents and literally everyone else in your house weren't around. There was nothing harmless about you straddling him as he sat on the floor of your bedroom. He was a smart kid and he knew it, but he really made an error of judgement by coming over. He even diligently brought out all of his schoolwork, thinking you really needed help with something.

"Oh? Since when did you start caring about what your club mates think?"

He coiled his arms around your waist and felt his hand rest on your lower back, steadying you. "It's not me they're talking about." 

You slightly shifted, moving to cup his face in your hands. "Kei-chan, you must really like me, huh?"

 _Man, his eyelashes are really light. Same goes for his eyes. Why is everything about him so—_

Tsukishima smirked, his eyes narrowing as you felt him grip your waist. "What makes you think I do?"

The warmth of his touch was odd, as if the leftover heat in his body was seeping through your uniform, but it wasn't enough to distract you from what he said, though. You pouted, pinching his cheeks as you did so. "Why won't you be honest with yourself even for just a bit?" 

The heat wasn't red hot. It was soft and rather comforting, drawing you in like a tea light candle set on a shelf. _The fire wasn't crimson or azure, it was—_

"Otome," he stated, golden eyes looking right into your own. He leaned a bit forward, his grip on your waist tightening as your noses brushed. You were trembling but eager to close the distance between the two of you, but his lips curved to a smile. "Between the two of us, it's pretty obvious who likes who more." 

\-- ✧ --

_**Melting Point** _

"Ah, Shimizu-san! May I?" 

The older girl gave you a smile and beckoned you to come in the gymnasium. "They're just about to have a break, so your timing is perfect."

Karasuno was only playing amongst themselves, but the atmosphere of the gymnasium emanated so much heat and desire to excel that it almost made you shiver. The players in black and white jumped and fell hard against the hardwood floor, their tri-coloured balls flying across the court. Tsukishima had his eyes on you as soon as Coach Ukai called for a break. 

"Kei-chan!" 

The way the entire team tensed up whenever you were there had always been a strange reaction to you, but you quickly gave them a timid bow before turning to the tall blond with the brightest smile on your face. "Ah, here's your spare shirt you left at my house. I washed it for you!"

Tanaka and Nishinoya were suddenly behind him, faint traces of a blush painting their faces. 

"Tsu-Tsukishima! You've been to a girl's house?!" 

Their middle blocker tried to fight the blush creeping up his face by throwing a stern, sarcastic glance at his senpais. "Otome's my girlfriend. It's only natural that I come over to her place from time to time." 

The remark seemed to annoy both Tanaka and Nishinoya, who flinched on their spots. 

"Thanks," Tsukishima turned back to you as the senpais were hushed. "Will you be staying?"

"Ah, no," you raised your hands and grinned. "I'll be heading home. I have some homework I need to finish. Message me later?" 

"Right."

A soft giggle left your lips, surprising the tall figure before you. "Kei-chan, you know there's no hiding the blush on your face since you're so pale!" 

From across the floor, you noticed Yamaguchi observing the two of you, so you flashed a smile at him and gave him a wave. "Tada-chan, do your best as well!" 

"Y-Yeah!" 

He was quickly chastised by the energetic second-years. "Oi, Yamaguchi! You shouldn't be blushing over another man's girl!" 

"I'll be going now. Don't forget to message me, Kei-chan!" You gave your boyfriend a small wave before turning your heel, but you were suddenly held back by the wrist. 

"Otome, one second." 

"Kei-ch—"

Tsukishima held your face in his hands, still too hot from all their training this afternoon. He leaned down and kissed you, catching you and the rest of the club by total surprise. Your hands quickly flew up to your mouth, muffled stutters slipping past your fingers.

"K-K-Kei-chan!" 

He gave you the most annoyingly adorable smirk he could ever muster, and you didn't have the energy to fight it back even with a glare.

"I can't be the only one who's blushing here, right?"

\-- ✧ --

_**Appetite** _

From Class 1-3, you entered Class 1-4 and happily placed a seat in front of Tsukishima's desk near the window. He already had his lunchbox set on his table and met your smile with a nod. 

"Tada-chan, eat with us!" 

Yamaguchi, who had his lunch halfway out of his bag, quickly obliged to your invitation and moved a seat close to you and his best friend. As expected, the blond threw you a strange look to which you responded with another smile. 

"Ah, here. I got these for you!" You brought out two pieces of yakisoba pan from your bag, placing one beside your boyfriend and one beside the dark-haired boy. "Eat up!"

They didn't move an inch, though, watching you excitedly unwrap your unusually large bento and carefully fold the pink floral wrap on your lap. "Kei-chan, mama prepared this for you." 

One of the three layers of your lunchbox was packed with a serving of white rice topped with black sesame seeds and _karaage_ with a side of steamed broccoli. "She said you needed to bulk up a little since you're becoming quite a star in the game! She even scolded me because she thought I might eat everything!" 

Yamaguchi gave the blond a look, who simply gazed at the lunch you placed before him. 

You picked out three pieces of sushi with your chopsticks and placed it in Yamaguchi's lunch box. "Tada-chan, have some of this! It's sweet potato sushi glazed with miso!" 

"Ah, s-sure, Otome-chan! Thanks!" 

"This is why you should get a girlfriend and be nice to her family, Tada-chan! When Kei-chan first came to our house, my mama just gave him a look and was completely taken by him! It was so funny! Now whenever he comes over, mama cooks so much so she can just feed him!" 

"That sounds great, Otome-chan. I'm glad your family likes Tsukki!"

"Like? Like is an understatement! My mama's like, _oh,_ can you imagine how pretty your children are going to be? Kei-chan has such a lovely bone structure, so your children will definitely be tall as well! I'm like, _ma,_ we're still in high school!" 

Tsukishima had his mouth full of rice and was unable to react to your light-hearted chatter, so he shot Yamaguchi a look while he was eating, visibly annoyed as his friend held back his laughter, still listening to you and the soft way you spoke and laughed. 

He loves you, but _gosh,_ you will be his entire undoing.

"Ne, Tada-chan, want me to hook you up with a friend? I know a few people who— Mff—"

"Otome, if you can still talk, it means you aren't eating at all," the blond picked out an egg roll from his lunchbox and quickly stuffed it in your mouth. "Yamaguchi, start eating." 

As you opened your mouth to protest, another egg roll made its way in, prompting you to finally start chewing. 

Yamaguchi managed a small laugh as your cheeks were stuffed. "It must be nice."

"What is?"

"Ah, I meant having a girlfriend, Tsukki!" He raised his hands in defence. "Everyone in the club is so puzzled about your relationship with Otome-chan. Sometimes they think she's some kind of ghost or something."

"Wh-What?! But I'm as real as it gets!" You quipped, finally swallowing the egg rolls you were fed a while ago. "Is that why everyone looks unsettled when I come over?" 

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at Yamaguchi, as if telling him not to talk anymore or he'll seriously flip the table at him. You couldn't help but smile as you watched the blond stuff his mouth with more rice and _karaage_. 

"I heard Tanaka-san and Nishinoya-san say you were way too pretty just to be with Tsukki," Yamaguchi stated with a crooked smile. The statement surprised both you and Tsukishima, the latter suddenly freezing on his spot. 

"K-Kei-chan! A-Are you choking?!"

\-- ✧ --

 _ **Covet**_

The smell of air Salonpas wasn't new to you anymore. It was a scent you associated with the love of your life and its effect even went as far as you pining for him ahead of the match you were there to watch. The local gym was slightly packed, seats lined and filled by spectators cheering on the prefecture's representatives for the Spring Tournament. While you were there with Ruu, she left you in the bleachers for a moment to grab something cool to drink for both of you. You stood behind Karasuno's black banner, your hands on the railings as you eyed the team in black and orange. _One, two, three..._ You counted all of them in your head and smiled as you reached #11, watching the tall figure carefully wrapping his slender fingers with tape. 

"Oho, where have I seen you before?" 

A tall and dark-haired stranger approached you, a grin on his face as he stood right next to you. He was in a red sweater and jeans and he looked at you like he experienced an epiphany. "Yeah, I think I know where I've seen you. You're Tsukki's girl, right?" 

"Ah!" You exclaimed, thumping your right fist on your left hand. "And you must be Kuroo-san from Tokyo! What brings you all the way here?" 

Kuroo crossed his arms around his chest. "We were invited to see this game, of course! We're pretty much just checking up on how our sworn rivals are doing." 

"No, you only tagged along. I was the one invited by Shoyo," a smaller figure in blue appeared from behind him. 

"You wouldn't even be here I wasn't here, Kenma," the taller guy responded, suddenly jerking his thumb at you. "Tsukki's girl." 

"Kenma-san! Kuroo-san!"

The two figures standing beside you flinched and let out a sigh. "Of course there's that one to think about, too." 

A strikingly tall figure with a head of silver and sharp green eyes made his approach, ascending the bleachers almost effortlessly and placing himself beside Kenma, who was visibly annoyed. "I almost got lost!" 

"Glad to see you're still in one piece," Kuroo grinned at him. He noticed the tall kid looking at you with great interest and probably thought you were cute. "Try not to stare at her too much, Lev. The girl's already taken." 

"Taken?" 

You could tell that Lev was a bit younger than you by the curious air about him. His green sweater matched his eyes and you were surprised when he squeezed himself between you and Kuroo all of a sudden. He was slightly pulled back by his senpai, who whispered something rather sharply, but it only prompted him to smile widely. 

"Ooh! You're Tsukki's girlfriend! I didn't know that he had one!" 

"Ah, y-yeah! We get that a lot," you tried to smile back at him, your neck craning as you met his green eyes. You weren't prepared for this kind of conversation at all and resorted to pulling your hands into the sleeves of your light purple sweater. _Where the heck was Ruu?_

The silence didn't deter Lev from stopping the conversation and he leaned down rather closely to estimate how high you stood. "Aren't you a bit too short for him?" 

You took a step back from his approach and suddenly felt yourself falling on your back, your feet slipping as you tried to back away from him a bit. A small yelp left your lips as you felt strong and large hands grip your wrist and waist and pull you back on your feet. 

"Whoa, you're so tiny!" 

"Oi, Lev," Kuroo started, a grin on his face as he eyed a certain figure from below the bleachers. "You better get your grubby hands off her if you wanna live to see tomorrow." 

The seriousness of the older guy's statement made you turn your attention to the court, where Tsukishima was standing with a visible scowl on his face. You quickly snatched your wrist from Lev's grip and pulled away from him, your lips quivering as the blond beckoned you to come down to him for a second. 

"Who would've thought that Tsukki was the jealous type?" Kuroo chuckled, watching your descending figure from the bleachers. "That must've been one hell of a love spell." 

"Kei-chan, I'm sorry! I know Kuroo-san and Kenma-san, but that other guy totally caught me by surprise, I—" 

The way he took your face in his hands was so tender that it kind of scared you. The tape around his long fingers was a new sensation against your cheeks. "Kei-ch—"

He flipped the hood of your sweater over your head and pulled the drawstrings, shutting out most of your face and your vision. A hand was on the back of your head as your cheek collided with his chest. "H-Hey! Kei-chan! What—"

 _Ah, his heart was pounding._

You can't see it, but somehow you knew, almost like instincts, that he had the most sardonic smile on his face as he turned to his acquaintances from the bleachers. 

"I would appreciate it if you won't touch my girlfriend again." 

\-- ✧ --

_**Retroactive Interference** _

On the very rare occasions when you were the one visiting your boyfriend's house, you would both be very busy with school work. 

Tsukishima preferred to study in the living room whenever you would come over, calling it an early precaution. He would sit across you on the table, bringing out all his school notes so you could copy them. You spent a good afternoon taking down English notes until you came across the words _soft_ and _clumsy_ , suddenly triggering a memory. 

You looked up at his unmoving figure and rested your chin on your palm. "Do you remember our first kiss?

He didn't even bother looking up from what he was reading. "You meant that time our mouths accidentally crashed into each other?

"Kei-chan, that's not how I remember our first kiss! I thought we had a pretty cute one!"

Tsukishima finally looked up and gave you an odd look. "If the clashing of teeth was cute for you then I don't really want to know where we'll go from here."

"K-Kei-chan! Do you hate me or something?!"

"Not at all. I'm quite in love with you, really," he replied with a small grin. "Get back to work."

A pout graced your mouth as you resumed your note-taking, not paying mind to the smile on his face as he recalled how you both laughed and crashed into each other's lips for the first time on a rather summery hot day. 

\-- ✧ --

_**The Nearness of You** _

It's been two years since you and Tsukishima started going out. 

The two of you watched each other's growth carefully, considering it both a duty and a pleasure to keep the other in check. He would make sure you submitted stories on time while you ensured he would eat a perfectly balanced meal three times a day. He compared your relationship to that of tending to a plant, noting you were one sensitive kind of bush that needed love, sunlight, and affection every single moment of the day. 

Tsukishima wasn't wrong about that, though. His attention was hard to come around and you couldn't help but indulge yourself whenever he gave you much of it.

Weeks ahead of Graduation Day, your mother said she needed to head to Tokyo with the rest of your family to attend a relative's wedding and she had no choice but to leave you behind since you needed to submit a number of requirements before the school year ends. 

_'Tell Kei-chan to stay over for a few days. Your papa may not like the idea, but I'd prefer you have someone with you here at home rather than you staying here all alone.'_

It was a silly idea, something you expected would be shot down by Tsukishima the moment you would bring it up. You came over during their club break with the warmest smile on your face, ready for the rejection you already had in mind. 

"Kei-chan, mama asked if you could stay over for a few days."

He paused from his drinking and heard you out for a bit, quietly listening to your explanation as to why he should accompany you at your place for a few days.

"Ah, so tomorrow, then?" He asked.

"Eh?"

"You said oba-san and everyone would be out tomorrow until Sunday, right? So I'll be staying over until then."

"W-Wait a moment... You're actually agreeing to this?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He grinned at you. "I'll get to shower my dear girlfriend with all the affection she wants."

"Wh— K-Kei-chan!"

"Psyche," he retorted, the smile on his face quickly vanishing. "You still have some deadlines to beat, right? You need to finish those or else I'm not gonna share any of the sweets I'll be bringing over."

"H-How mean!"

"At least prepare a blanket for me," he chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow." 

It was funny how the whole thing made you nervous. You stopped being completely nervous around Tsukishima when you were both in your second year and you were finally able to walk around him without the fear of stepping on any eggshells. You two were a team of your own, and even Yamaguchi liked the way his best friend would mellow down whenever you were around. Friday evening came and you were stir-frying some leftover vegetables for dinner. He arrived a little while later fresh from club activities and even talked to you a bit about how practice was over dinner. You had prepared a blanket for him on your sofa and he excused himself for a moment to take a short shower, leaving most of his things in your living room. 

You hummed as you slipped into his dark club sweater, laughing to yourself as you saw how close it reached your knees. "As expected, Kei-chan really has a long torso."

The windows in your home were open and you found yourself staring outside, leaning on the frame as a cool evening breeze blew across your face. A white moon hung in the sugar-sprinkled night sky, a clear and luminous orb casting the softest light on the roofs of every home in this little town. 

_This little town._

The thought of leaving this little town pained you, but it was for your own good, after all. You had wanted to get into a local community college, but you threw in an application to a Tokyo junior college at the urging of your mother. 

When Tsukishima told you of his plans to stay in town, you didn't have the heart to tell him where you were heading. He eventually found out one evening when he came over for dinner and your mother slipped in the news of your acceptance to a city junior college by accident, thinking he already knew about it to begin with. Studying in Tokyo meant you had to stay in the city and only come back home to Miyagi when it was necessary, but it also meant seeing less and less of your boyfriend as time passes by. 

You sneezed as another whip of cool wind blew in the house. "Ah, man, I'm gonna miss these cool nights, too." 

"I think you need to stay warm if you're sneezing around like that," you heard him talk behind you, trapping you between his arms as he rested his hands on the window sill. 

The pace in which your heart was beating was something you never experienced before so it was rather unsettling for you. It was odd enough that Tsukishima made the first move, so you tried to calm yourself by thinking of anything else but him. 

_Anything_ but the warmth of his knuckles brushing against your cheek. _Anything_ but the soft way he ran his fingers through your hair. _Anything_ but the heat of his breath sweeping over the crook of your neck. 

_Anything..._

_No use,_ you thought to yourself. 

He leaned in much closer, holding you in his arms as you felt the warmth of his lips and breath brush against your nape. He was careful, almost too cautious, holding you as if he could break you into two. It didn't take long for his hands to start mapping your body underneath the dark sweater, his fingers tugging at the hem of your skirt. 

No, he wasn't feeling you up. He was tracing everything, as if making mental notes of every ebb and curve your body made. The tenderness in the way he held you made you tear up. 

His hands were warm. _Always warm._ You never liked cold things and while Tsukishima was somewhat cold, you knew he was pretty much an exception to the rule. You liked him, after all. Hot tears dropped to his wrist, confirming his thought as he saw your shoulders trembling as you sobbed quietly. 

"Otome."

"I'm... I'm all right," you sniffed and breathed out, angrily wiping your tears away with the sleeve of his sweater. "Kei-chan, I'm not all right at all!"

"I figured that much," he replied, settling to hold you in his arms. "I'm not sure if I'm all right, too."

He held your smaller hands in his own, his slender fingers lacing with yours. The silence wasn't a stranger to both of you. In fact, there was nothing more you could want than the silence to stay even for just a bit longer. The stillness and the quietness of the place seemed to swallow you both as a whole, but neither of you minded. 

_Let time stop, even just for a bit. Please._

"Whenever you miss me, just look up," he told you, resting his chin on your shoulder. "We'll always be looking at the same night sky, no matter where you are."

\-- ✧ --

_**A Keeper** _

Your friends from college were certainly taken aback when the boyfriend you gushed about appeared from out of nowhere while you were having coffee with them after your classes. They were all left speechless as Tsukishima arrived to pick you up since it was raining, his long beige overcoat slightly matted with raindrops. He brushed a kiss on your forehead as you rose from your seat and gathered your things from your table, uttering a short farewell to your friends as you were led out of the cafe by a steady hand on your back. 

It had been a year since you started living in a cosy little Tokyo apartment that you made your own place by filling it with things that reminded you of your home: little garlands of plastic summer flowers, a pterodactyl figurine, and a yellow lotus incense burner. The place was large enough for you, but you knew that Tsukishima was limiting the length of his strides in your tiny city home. 

"Kei-chan, I'm sorry you had to pick me up. I didn't expect any rain today, to be honest. I didn't even have an umbrella on me," you softly rambled on, removing your own overcoat before helping him out of his own. You grabbed a pair of hangers from the inside of a little coat closet near your door and hung them inside as neatly as possible. "You arrived a lot earlier than I expected and even my friends were surprised that you—" 

_Arms._ His arms were already around you even before you could finish your last statement. It rained nearly the whole afternoon but he was still warm. You tiptoed and slid your arms under his own, hugging him back with all the strength you could muster up. "I missed you, too, prince charming."

The buzzing of your phone in your skirt pocket distracted you both from the long-awaited hug and you quickly fished it out to see who was messaging you. "Friends." 

A barrage of envy messages and heart stickers greeted you as you opened your group SMS, somehow managing to hear in your head how every one of it was sent. "It says here you're a keeper. You know it's funny how they can say that when they don't really know for sure if you're a nice person." 

"So I'm not?" 

"N-No! That's not what I meant! I meant—"

Tsukishima silenced you with another hug, taking your phone in your hands and placing it on top of the nearest shelf he could reach. "You can talk to them later. It took me hours to get here so you better not ignore me."

He smelt of rain and lemons. Just like home. 

"Mmm. All right." 

To mark Tsukishima's arrival in Tokyo, you bought a small strawberry shortcake in advance from the nearby rustic cafe and tried to whip up something that reminded you of home, but you could only up with _karaage_ and steamed vegetables. He snickered at you from across the dinner table as he raised his bowl of rice. 

"Why does this remind me of high school?" 

You stuffed your mouth with chicken and took a sip of miso soup so you didn't have to respond to him. 

"Otome." 

The tone of his voice prompted you to pause from your eating and turn to face him completely. You simply tilted your head at him, as if asking if there was anything wrong. 

"I love you."

And his statement caught you by surprise so much that you accidentally swallowed the entire piece of _karaage_ in your mouth. 

"Wh-What?!"

He was smiling at you. 

"Kei-chan, you're making me really nervous," you stated with a sigh. 

"Do you like it here in Tokyo?" He asked, placing his empty rice bowl on the table. 

"It's always cold, rainy and murky here, but I guess it's all right," you replied with a crooked smile. "Nothing beats being with you, of course." 

Tsukishima stood up and made his way behind you, his fingers gently snaking their way through your hair, brushing it over your left shoulder. A glint of gold caught your eye as you felt a single cool thread drape around your neck. "Kei-chan?..."

There was a grin on his face as he sat down again and watched as you traced the shape of the pendant with your fingertips. "Did you know that lotus flowers emerge more beautifully the murkier the waters are?"

"Kei-chan..." You found yourself reaching out for his hands, which he gladly gave you. "I—"

"We managed to get this far, right? The next one's gonna be easier for us," he replied surely, grasping your hand in his own as he gazed at your red face. You had doubted yourself all your life, but if there was one thing you were entirely sure about, it's that Tsukishima Kei was a real keeper. 

"I'll be waiting for you to come home to me." 

You could only thank your lucky stars that he was keeping you, too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Edit: 7 December 2020**
> 
> Hello, lovers! This was formerly the _'Glossarium'_ , which I did away with after much consideration since it only served as a table of contents. 
> 
> **Some notes to consider as you read this series:**
> 
> **  
> _Who is Otome?_  
>  **
> 
> I use "Otome" as a placeholder for "Y/N" because I thought it looked much nicer in the stories I write. The term "Otome" is from otome games, or maiden games, and in these stories Otome would literally mean maiden, or Maiden-chan, which pretty much means Y/N. 
> 
> **  
> _Otome's gender_  
>  **
> 
> I write from a female's perspective, so I apologise for the lack of flexibility. I feel I'm not confident enough to write in a multi-gendered perspective seeing as I am a straight young woman. However, the readers are free to consider each story as F/F or M/M if it please them! 
> 
> **  
> _Ruu-chan_  
>  **
> 
> Ruu (流) is your bestest friend. She mostly serves as a conscience point of sorts. 
> 
> **  
> _The inspiration_  
>  **
> 
> I always thought high school stories were something that everyone can relate to, so I opted to write about the characters' lives outside their classrooms and training sessions. Most of these focus on school downtime and the complications of having lovers from different classes. You may or may not find a random future prompt! 
> 
> **  
> _A love note from the author ✿_  
>  **
> 
> Hello, dear readers! I hope you enjoy reading these one-shots as much as I enjoyed writing them! More stories are lined up, but I hope you can wait as I'm currently balancing work and a wee bit of church life as well. It's always a pleasure to read heartwarming comments from you all. You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/quirklessbeauty) and [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.qa/quirklessbeauty). You're free to hit me up there or join me in fangirling over the different anime and shows I am getting myself into. See you at the next one! Bring it!
> 
> _~ Songs of Adelaide ♡_


	2. Dream Fever || Kageyama Tobio

**Dream Fever**

\-- ✧ --

 _ **What's Mine is Mine is Mine is Mine**_

Kageyama hated one thing. He hated how Oikawa always managed to find all of his weak spots. 

Ruu had left you in the bleachers for a single moment but you found yourself suddenly cornered by one of the very popular figures from Aoba Johsai. He was there as a civilian and a spectator since he wasn't in their usual immaculately white sports uniform. It was strange enough that he recognised you, but starting a conversation with you only meant he was really snooping around. 

"You know, you're not exactly the kind of girl that I expected Tobio-chan to like," the older guy said, gently taking a lock of your hair resting on your shoulder. "I kind of expected him to prefer a more... refined girl, seeing as he's... Well, you know what kind of guy he is, right?" 

You glowered at him suspiciously, clutching Kageyama's spare shirt close to your chest as this senpai scrutinised you. _Ah,_ you knew exactly who he was. Some of your female classmates were absolutely crazy about him and you were sure any other girl would die to be where you were now. He ran his fingers through your loose lock of hair with a smile on his face. 

"Oikawa-san," you started, quirking an eyebrow at him. "If you think I'm going to melt at your presence like every other girl here, you're clearly mistaken. I—"

A strong and sweaty arm suddenly looped around your shoulder, your back colliding with a rather broad chest. 

"If you have a problem with me, deal with me," Kageyama's voice resounded against you. You could tell he had the same glower on his face as he angrily responded to his former senpai. "Keep her out of this." 

Oikawa gave him a long look before finally relenting, gently dropping the lock of hair he held in his hands moments ago. "No need to be so angry, Tobio-chan! I just wanted to see what kind of person your cute girlfriend is. I still find it so hard to believe that you actually have time for something else apart from volleyball."

You held onto your boyfriend's arm around you, sticking your tongue out at the stranger before you, eliciting a rather annoyed smirk from him. 

"If she was mean to you, you probably deserve it," Kageyama stated cooly. "After all, she knows who you are."

The senpai feigned another smile before turning his heel and walking away. "It's nice to meet you, Otome-chan. I'm thrilled to see how long you and Tobio-chan will last." 

"Long enough for me to see him whip your ass, Oikawa-san! Just you wait!" You suddenly shouted from across the bleachers, shaking in anger and anxiety as you held onto Kageyama, who was surprised at your outburst. "Tobio-san will definitely beat you!"

"O-Otome!—" 

Your heart was racing and you suddenly became very self-conscious. Your boyfriend slowly released you from his grip. 

"What did he tell you?" 

Looking back, you never really thought you would even have a start with Kageyama at all. He was always brooding in class and he never really spoke to anyone if he didn't see the need to. He was, however, pleasantly surprised when you handed him a copy of your English notes to help him out with his studies after you overheard that he and Hinata were struggling a bit with their grades. 

_'You know, I'm a big fan of your games. You guys really put Karasuno back on the map!'_

"Otome, you are one of my best sources of support," he stated with a sigh as he gave your head a pat. "Don't get so rattled by whatever he said."

"Oikawa-san said you would've preferred someone cuter," you pouted. 

"He said _**WHAT?!**_ " 

\-- ✧ --

_**Permission** _

Kageyama didn't talk much, even on the very rare occasions when the two of you could head home together after your classes for the day. It was mostly you chattering about your overdue stories that needed to be submitted to the club moderator. 

"Tatara-sensei's getting pretty strict with us. He said we needed to submit weekly drafts! Weekly!" You rattled on as you walked beside him along the cool country roads. You smiled and turned to him as you arrived at your house. "This is where we part. Sorry for all my babbling, Tobio-san. I quite like talking to you even though you don't say much." 

"Can..." He sputtered out all of a sudden, prompting you to turn back to him. "Can I kiss you?"

You gave him a rather startled and incredulous look that made him turn even redder. "Tobio...?"

"I-It's all right if you don't want me to! I..." He raised his hands in defence, fumbling for more words as you both stood motionless outside your house. "I just thought it would be right to ask before I—"

You stepped closer to him and brought your hands to his face, gently tilting your head to brush a kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

"Well... I honestly think I don't need permission to ask if I can kiss my adorable boyfriend," you said with a smile before finally stepping into the gates of your house. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tobio-san." 

You tried not to be too surprised when he came up to kiss you while you were in the middle of a conversation the day after. 

\-- ✧ --

 _ **Lovesick**_

Kageyama still insisted on seeing you at your place despite it being rather late. For the record, he was lucky your parents liked him, noting that he was a good and polite young man with grounded ambitions. He was responsible and caring to a fault especially when it came to you, much to the surprise of everyone around you. Padded footsteps approached your room and gave your door a short knock before opening it. 

"You said you were unwell," Kageyama shut the door behind him. "I got you cough drops." 

"Oh, thank you," you slowly sat up from your bed and carefully took the shiny bag of honey lemon cough drops that was handed to you. "How was practice today?"

"It was all right," he placed his bulky training bag down on the floor and sat down on the space you made for him on the edge of your bed. "I'll be coming in a bit earlier tomorrow just to be sure."

"Make sure you're eating well," you stated, hands shaking as you struggled to rip open the pack that was given to you earlier. "Ah, Tobio-san, I'm sorry. I can't seem to open it."

He took the pack from your hands and ripped it open almost effortlessly, dropping a single sweet on your hands. You twiddled with it with your fingers, but you were prompted to look up when you felt a hand touch your cheek. 

"Maybe you shouldn't sit too close. We can't risk getting you sick as well. Karasuno needs you!" 

"You need me too, yeah? I'll stay here until you fall asleep again," he stated, resting his forehead against your own. "You're still burning up."

"Ne, Tobio-san..." you called out to him softly. "Good luck with your next game. I won't be there to cheer you on, but I want you to know that I'm always rooting for you." 

"I know that much, Otome," he replied with a cool smile. "Get better for me, okay?"

You managed a smile. "I'll try."

You knew for a fact that Kageyama wasn't a talker, but he was a real giver. He was aware, though, that time was something he couldn't give you much of, and he compensated for it by being there when you needed him most. He smelt of air Salonpas and the familiar rubber of the game ball and it somehow made you rather drowsy. 

"Ah... H-Hey!" You planted your hands on his lips when you realised how close he was to you, gently shoving him away from you. "I just said you can't afford to get sick!"

Well, one of you was definitely lovesick and you were sure that it wasn't you.

\-- ✧ --

_**Solstice** _

You liked the cool weekend afternoons. 

Days like these were rare and they were made even more precious ever since Kageyama started coming over after their morning training. It was a bit odd for you at first since you were used to spending such quaint afternoons writing at home, but he would arrive with a few boxes of Gun Gun Yogurt to share with you and paid absolutely no mind as you continued your trance-like scribbling on the living room table while he fell asleep on the couch. You could tell that he liked the arrangement since he started coming more often. 

He followed you into your house after you gave him a hug, his fingers gently tugging at the sleeves of your soft woollen sweater. You sat him down and took your seat back on the small cushion on the floor, taking a carton of the treats he brought over for you. 

Kageyama was a fast sleeper. He would watch you write for a few moments before closing his eyes to fall asleep and wouldn't wake until your mother calls you both for dinner. Your mother isn't at home today, though, so you would have to make dinner yourself. 

"Otome."

"Yes, Tobio-san?" You looked up at him as he sat down on your couch. 

"You..." He started rather nervously. "Would you like to sleep with me?"

 _Oh, that's new,_ you couldn't help but think to yourself. He raised his hands in defence when he saw the clearly surprised expression on your face that you couldn't stop from showing. 

"It's a-all right if you don't— I mean I just thought it would be—" 

You placed the cap back on your pen and closed your notebook before you got back up on your feet and stood before him. "Okay. Let's sleep." 

He took your hands into his own, reading the look in your eyes as he pulled you close for an embrace, his arms gently coiling around your waist. 

The sigh of relief that left his lips as his cheek collided with your chest surprised you yet again. "Tired?"

"You could tell?"

"I figured this much," you brought your hands to his face. "Have a good rest, Tobio-san. I won't go anywhere." 

It did take a while for the two of you to fall asleep since you started kissing him and he got all antsy for a moment. You weren't a fast sleeper since so many things ran through your head in the quiet, but you revelled in the sight of your sleeping dearly beloved, his arms still around you protectively. 

"I'd definitely sleep more if I'd wake up to this sight every single day," you whispered to yourself, brushing away the strands of dark hair over Kageyama's eyes. "Sleep well, Tobio."

You were pretty sure you had a good sleep as well. Evening came and it was time to prepare dinner, so you tried to gently slip away from your still-asleep boyfriend's grip, only to be met by soft resistance and the refusal to let you go.

"Nnnooo..." he grumbled as you moved away, being instantly pulled back into his arms. "Y'don't have to make a big dinner if it's just the two of us. We can have a quick one later... Just stay a bit longer because it's cold."

Kageyama's clinginess would be your entire undoing, but you wouldn't have it any other way. You figured it wouldn't hurt to have a quick dinner with just about anything later so you resigned yourself back into his eager arms, gently slipping your head under his chin. 

"I fall in love with you more every time, Tobio," you murmured against his neck. "It's unfair how you can be this clingy."

"S'not," he retorted, sighing in comfort as you settled back into his arms. "What's unfair is you leaving me out here in the cold."

You smiled to yourself, snuggling up to him as close as possible. You didn't even notice how cold it was because of how closely he held you. 

\-- ✧ --

_**Support** _

The people around you said you were each other's best supporters. 

The rest of the Karasuno Volleyball Club acknowledged you as one of Kageyama's important support systems and appreciated your presence during their games since you cheered for them as loud as you could and rooted for their success from the bottom of your heart so earnestly. But whilst you were very much vocal about your support, your boyfriend had other ways of expressing his own support for you. 

Once a year, the school would hold a club exhibition day to showcase the different club activities they had for students. Sporting clubs would hold rallies that kept them busy throughout the entire day, but clubs like the Literature Club deal with the event rather mildly. Your club president required every member to provide at least ten copies each of their last novella and have it circulated around the school. It was challenging enough for the club to recruit members, but getting other students to read the club's work was a different level altogether. 

The strange sound of excited murmurs suddenly filled the club room while you were fixing the different sets of novellas on the long table. 

"Ah, hello there. This is the Literature Club, right?" 

_Oh, that voice._ You'd recognise it from just about anywhere. 

"Otome-san!" 

You quickly turned around and saw the four sophomores from the Karasuno Volleyball Club enter the club room, all smiles as they approached you. It was obvious that they came here as soon as their rallies ended seeing as they were all still in their dark sweaters and training shirts. 

"Tobi— Ah, I-I mean Kageyama-kun! And Hinata-kun, too! A-And Yamaguchi-kun and Tsukishima-kun as well! W-Welcome to the Literature Club!" You stammered, awkwardly presenting the self-made novellas on the club room's long table. 

"Kageyama says you write a lot of interesting stuff, Otome-san! You don't mind if I'd take a copy of your work, right?" The freckled Yamaguchi stated with a smile. 

"Ah, of course not! Please feel free to take anything that interests you! This one is by..." 

Kageyama's blue eyes followed your steps, watching closely at how you spoke to his teammate about the premise of a novella he found interesting. 

"And this is about..."

"You ought to teach your boyfriend a thing or two about Classic Literature since you're a writer, Otome-san," Tsukishima stated as he took a copy of your novella in his hands. 

"I think he's doing pretty well, Tsukishima-kun," you replied with a nervous smile. You could see from across the room that Kageyama was already glaring at the blond and was probably cursing him under his breath now. 

"Ka-ge-ya-ma-kun!" Your friend Ruu suddenly pipped in, her phone in her hands as she hovered around the players rather excitedly. "It's good that you're here to support Otome! Let's take a commemorative photo!" 

"Wait," the brunet stated. "Would it be all right to have a photo with the four of us first?" 

"Just as long as you take a copy of my novella," she replied with a smile. "Gather around her now, then!" 

Kageyama and Hinata were quick to sandwich you between them as Yamaguchi and Tsukishima stood next to them. 

"Hold this, Otome-san!" The red head quickly shoved his tri-coloured volleyball in your hands.

"Mm, perfect! Now hold those books up, boys!" Ruu raised one hand as she prepared to take the photo. "Smile!"

The other three players were quick to disappear from the scene after the first photo was taken, gathering behind Ruu and holding back their laughter as you and Kageyama were left in the viewfinder. 

"Stay in place, Otome and Kageyama-kun!" Your friend called out. "Big smiles!" 

And so you did. You held the volleyball close to your chest with the brightest smile on your face while Kageyama managed to grin a little wider as he held your novella in his hands. He at least understood how precious this moment was for you and he was grateful to be a part of it. 

"Thank you for the books!" Hinata stated happily as he bade you farewell. "I don't like reading text books, but I like interesting stories, Otome-san!" 

The four of them took their leave.

"Tobio-san," you called out, prompting the setter to turn back. 

"Yes?"

"Thank you for coming over."

He took a step back and gave your head a pat. "Good job, Otome." 

You had all of his support in the form of those two simple words that meant the world to you now, and it was enough to keep you moving forward.

\-- ✧ --

_**Letters** _

It wasn't a foreign feeling to Kageyama. 

He had learned to deal with solitude for a brief period in his life and did so rather gracelessly, breaking relationships he didn't know he even valued, only realising so the moment he lost them. 

He dealt with solitude and kept his heart guarded before finally realising that it was all right to let his walls fall down before the right people. Solitude was no stranger to him since he knew it like the back of his hand, but he hadn't dealt with it for so long that he was actually a bit confused.

 _'Tobio-san, keep in mind that no force on earth can ever stop me from coming to you.'_

After graduating from high school, you went to a junior college in Tokyo to appease your parents, promising them a diploma afterwards as long as they would grant you your wish to continue writing. 

Two of the greatest forces in Kageyama's life were whisked away from his grasp, but he knew for a fact that they would definitely fly back. 

_'Whenever it rains here in Tokyo, I can't help but feel a bit sad. It's always sunny in our hometown and I miss it. I miss you more, though.'_

Kageyama would read the letters you sent him in between his practice and training, taking note of the tone, wistfully thinking of how it would be so much better if you were talking to him in person instead. You never obliged him to write back to you, but he did so in the form of very short e-mail messages. 

_'You can do it,'_ he sent a reply. _'Just think of how close you are—'_

He backspaced, shaking his head as he sent the first part of the message instead. It would take weeks for another letter from you to arrive, but he waited with the utmost eagerness. 

You were halfway through another letter when news of his recruitment to the Schweiden Adlers reached you. This one had to be sent with utmost urgency since he was definitely going to leave Miyagi. He indeed received it a few days before his departure to Tokyo and opted to read it along the way there. 

Kageyama came to realise that he was only lonely during the first year of your departure. It finally dawned on him that even though he dealt with things while you were away that he was never really alone. The letters gave him enough hope to believe that you really were waiting for him on the other side. 

And you truly were. 

A week after his arrival, he heard of the debut of a popular freelance novelist who dedicated her first published novel to a mystery man who had the initials KT. Those two letters were shrouded in so much mystery but he knew exactly who that mystery man was. 

_'To the king of my heart,'_ read the dedication. _'I know you dislike the title, but at least learn to like this one.'_

He smirked to himself as he closed the book and placed it in his training bag. 

When he heard that the novelist would be holding a book signing at a nearby cafe, he waited out and watched fans and readers come in droves from noon until the evening. He had to be the last one to come in. 

"Who should I address this message to?" You asked with a smile without even bothering to look up at the owner of the book presented to you on the table. This was the last one you had to sign and your neck kind of hurt from craning it up the whole day.

"I think I won't need a message since the entire story's dedicated to me." 

_Oh, that voice._ You'd recognise it from just about anywhere. You finally looked up, blue eyes gazing at you warmly and wistfully before a hand reached out to touch your head. 

Warm tears quickly filled your eyes, your vision blurring as you got up from your seat. "T-Tobio-s—" 

Solitude was like a dear friend to him, but he would do so well without it. For the first time in a long time, he felt absolutely invincible, triumphant as he declared to himself that no force in heaven or earth could prevent him from coming to you. 

You left your seat and walked into Kageyama's open arms, the warmth of his embrace and grey overcoat enough to render you to even more tears. 

"Do you want to have some coffee?" You managed to say, sniffling against his chest.

"Don't they have any Gun Gun Yogurt here?" 

_Oh,_ the sound of his voice was enough, but to have him there with you was something else. 

"Good job, Otome," he murmured against your hair. The magic those words did on you never faded. It was pretty much all you needed to keep you moving forward, but now that Kageyama was there as well, you were sure you'd reach even grander heights. 

\-- ✧ --

_**Sonder** _

You watched the rain paint patterns on the window of your shared space with your boyfriend. He had finished scrolling through the numerous social media posts that were sent to him by his old friends and current teammates, the same grin on his face as he placed his phone down on the dinner table. The headlines were hardly eye-catching and he knew that most paparazzi were eager to get a scoop out of anything. 

_'Game Time Romance for the Books! V.League Adlers' Kageyama and rising romance novelist seen together in Tokyo Sky Tree!'_

_It's hardly something to get worried about,_ he thought. 

"What are you going to do about this, Tobio-san?" 

Kageyama gave you a strange look from across the living room, taking in the worried expression on your face as you twiddled with the sleeves of your woolly sweater. "What's wrong with people finding out that I have a girlfriend?"

"O-Oh," you remarked as you slowly made your way to his side. "I just thought you were, you know... You have an image to uphold." 

He chuckled, pulling you into his arms for an embrace. "Aren't you more worried about your image? You're a rookie romance novelist and—" 

"And I'm dating one of the Schweiden Adlers' rising stars," you pointed out, drawing circles on his chest as he held you close. "Since high school. More than anything, I think every woman who adores you would die to be in my position."

Out of his volleyball uniform, Kageyama smelt of powder and citrus and it was something you took comfort in. You stared in the blueness of his eyes before coiling your arms around him, taking in the sweet smell of his navy blue sweater, vaguely reminding you of your home in the countryside. 

The two of you lived in a comfortable high-rise condominium unit in the city, something you both worked hard on to purchase. The place often smelt of sweet powdered milk and biscuits with a whiff of lavender incense whenever you were alone and busy typing manuscripts for your editor. It didn't have much furniture, either, just a few plants here and there, a sofa and a cot, a single coffee table and a few shelves, leaving the place with a lot of space. 

The buzzing of Kageyama's phone on the table prompted you to break your embrace for a moment. He lifted it up with one hand while still holding you in his other arm. 

"Tobio-san, you're gonna have to let me go eventually," you teased him. 

"It's Miwa nee-san," he replied. "Look at what she sent me."

He tilted his phone screen so you could see the website selling designer wedding rings that was sent to him by his older sister. 

"I think it's still too early for marriage," you said with a laugh. "You still have so much waiting ahead of you, too!"

"I should say the same to you," he rattled back. "You're working on another book, right?" 

"Mm, I am." 

You could tell that he was thinking of something by the way he mindlessly drew you to another tight embrace, his hands meeting behind you. 

"Otome, will you stay by my side even when things get rough?"

"Tobio-san, we never had it easy to begin with, remember? Just keep in mind that no force on earth can ever stop me from coming to you," you mumbled against his chest. "If you're worried about the press and media, it wouldn't hurt to protect what we have even for a bit."

"Protect what we have, huh?"

"Mm, just... Don't comment on it or something. Ignore them."

"You know the people aren't gonna shut up about this."

"I'll follow suit," you told him, sighing to yourself as he ran a hand over your back. "I'll... follow up on whatever you tell them."

You both shared a fairly quiet dinner moments later, with Kageyama leaving for a bit afterward since he needed to meet up with the rest of the birds. He would come home late from the looks of it since he had a training bag with him. As you cosied up in the cobalt blue sheets of your shared bed, you were surprised by the number of notifications that popped up on your phone screen. 

"Must be Ruu or something," you swiped on the screen and saw that Kageyama had tagged you in an Instagram post. 

_'Sparkling summer day_   
_A whole, glowing lemon grows_   
_whilst reading a book.'_

"Tobio-san, what on earth are you saying?"

_'I would like to thank everyone for their support! Please continue supporting the Schweiden Adlers as we prepare for the next round of games! I hope you extend your support to my dear girlfriend as well. You may know her as the romance novelist...'_

You couldn't help the smile on your face as you looked at the photo of the two of you that he uploaded. It was the most recent one and you had taken it up at the Sky Tree. 

_'Swipe left to see how long we've been together.'_

And so you did, a small laugh leaving your lips as you saw that he uploaded one of your favourite photos together, taken from when he visited you during your second-year club exhibition day in high school. He was in his Karasuno Volleyball Club sweater, holding up a hardbound copy of one of your short stories while you held a tri-coloured volleyball in your hands. 

You found yourself typing a message draft which you quickly sent out. 

_'Not a bad haiku from someone who failed Classic Lit.'_

The reply came a minute later. _'Thank you, most gracious wordmaster. Now follow through like what you said.'_

He thought of this fast enough, but you could tell that he had a little help from his teammates. You picked a filtered selfie of the two of you to upload on your Twitter account, seeing as your readers interacted with you more there. Thank the stars for the Snow App since you both looked cute. You started tapping a rather sappy caption before opting for a cute and fun message instead. 

_'For those of you wondering who my inspiration for the prince is... He's actually a king! (Of my heart!_ 😋 _) I hope you join me in supporting Kageyama Tobio and the Schweiden Adlers in their next round of games as you await my next novel!'_

As expected, your fans took the news almost excitedly. It was enough that you were caught even though you thought you were completely inconspicuous, but it turns out your boyfriend really had a lot of keen-eyed fans. You would deal with the suspense, drama and excitement tomorrow, though. Your phone suddenly buzzed in your hands as you tried to turn it off. Kageyama was calling.

"You know I'd sleep a whole lot better if you were here," you picked up, pulling the thick sheets up to your chin. "I love you, Tobio. Come home as soon as you can, okay?" 

_'Rest up. I'll be home soon.'_

"Mm, I will," you mumbled sleepily, reaching for the switch of your bedside lamp.

_'Otome.'_

"Yes?"

_'Love you.'_

"Of course you do."

He would be back in your arms soon. You're his home just as he's yours.


	3. Philokalia || Yamaguchi Tadashi

**Philokalia**

_; a love for whatever is beautiful and good._

\-- ✧ --

**_Counting Stars_ **

Your boyfriend is a smart guy. 

A few friends of yours considered you lucky since you had someone who helped you with your studying and school work. You recalled Ruu's whining whenever you asked to skip your cafe dates, but she would eventually relent, saying it was good that you were thinking about your future by studying. But you... You weren't entirely sure if you were really learning anything whenever you were studying with Yamaguchi. You would slip into Class 1-4 whenever there was free period, finding him already waiting for you with a new set of notes from his earlier classes. Yamaguchi was kind and patient and found no reason to ever be annoyed at every confusing question you threw at him, answering you with complete clarity and brevity that sometimes made you wonder why he chose to date someone like you to begin with. 

You would scribble on your notebook for a few moments before pausing and looking up to gaze at his face. 

"Otome, what are you doing?" 

He was smiling at you from across the table, pen still in hand as he paused from his writing. 

"I was counting the stars on your face," you replied, looking down as you resumed copying his notes. 

"You make it sound like I have a really... interesting face," he chuckled rather nervously, a hand on the back of his head. "I'm not nearly as interesting as—"

"Tada-chan," you looked up and quirked an eyebrow at him, cutting off his statement. "Don't say stuff like that. I like your face. I like the freckles on your face. I like everything about you. I like all of those stars. All of it. You know what that makes you? A galaxy. And galaxies are incredibly beautiful things."

The blush that tinged Yamaguchi's face was too hard not to notice. "W-Well, it's hard to feel bad if you put it that way. I just—"

"Tada-chan, don't say any more self-deprecating things. It's an insult to my taste." 

You peered up at him, his lips trembling to a smile as he scratched his cheek. You were at least good at one thing: Putting a smile on your guy's face, and it means everything to you. 

\-- ✧ --

_**Soft Landing** _

The orange skies only meant the afternoon was about to come to an end. The Literature Club concluded its activities and sent you all on your way home. You were on your way out when the sound of playing shoes squeaking against the glossed gymnasium floor and hands hitting rubber balls enticed you. You decided that a peek wouldn't hurt. 

It didn't take long for their beautiful club manager to invite you in as she saw your peering eyes. She was quick to call Yamaguchi's attention, who jogged towards you rather excitedly. 

"Otome, please be careful. There are balls everywhere because we're practising spikes."

You presented him a carton of Gun Gun Yogurt with a huge grin on your face. "It's okay, Tada-chan, I'll just give you this and be on my way, okay?"

Everything happened so fast afterwards. Yamaguchi was quick to block a stray ball that was about to hit you, but you accidentally slipped on one as you took a step back to avoid it. He caught your hand in time but ended up falling with you, the loud 'thud' due to your fall enough to distract everyone in the gymnasium.

"O-Oi! Yama—"

 _Ah,_ the back of your head stung. You fell on your back pretty hard and you were having difficulty in breathing as well. Hinata and Kageyama rushed to your side, looming over you with red faces. 

"O-Otome-san, are you all right?!"

It took you a moment to understand why they were blushing. Yamaguchi suddenly shot up after toppling over you and inhaling rather sharply, his face red all over as well. "A-Are you all right, Otome?!"

 _He had just raised his face from your chest._

"Oi, Yamaguchi! You certainly took your time getting back up!" The second-years teased. "Did ya have a soft landing?"

You were quickly pulled up and dragged out of the gymnasium by your fumbling boyfriend, his freckled face still beet-red as he brought his warm hands to your face, checking up on you closely for any scratches or bruises. "S-Sorry! Does it hurt anywhere?"

"I think I hit my head, but don't worry about it. I'll live," you replied with a soft laugh as you held his wrists. He had a strange look on his face as he placed his hands on your shoulders. 

"Otome, this is probably gonna sound stupid..." He let out a sigh of defeat as he mumbled. "...I'm probably gonna have a hard time sleeping later, so don't wait up and head to bed. I'll be heading to Shimada-san and probably stay for a few hours. I'll message you, though!"

"Hey, it's okay! I... Wait, why are you—" 

Yamaguchi couldn't look you in the eye. He had a strangely agitated expression as he let you go and took a step away. 

"Tada-chan... Don't tell me you're—"

He raised his hands. "It's improper, I know! And I apologise for it!" 

"Tada-chan, it's okay! It... It happens," you shrugged and smiled at him, taking his face in your hands this time. "Hey, listen. You don't have to cut me off because of that." 

Just the thought of him being unable to sleep because of this bodily torment both pained and excited you. Yamaguchi reacted to you in a way you haven't seen yet and you found his complete honesty even more endearing. 

"When you're done practising with Shimada-san, we can sleep on whatever it is you're feeling, okay?" You pinched his cheeks. "Or I can help you out if you—"

"No, no, no, no, no," he backed away at arm's length, holding you by your shoulders again. "Otome, I can't do something weird, I— Don't you find it strange?"

"What? My boyfriend finds me attractive and I think it's strange?" You smiled at him. "You can call me later so we can both calm down, okay?"

And while he did call you up, neither of the two of you were calm during that entire conversation. 

\-- ✧ --

_**Welcome** _

He couldn't stop staring at your hands. 

Yamaguchi was always distracted when he held hands with you. It was a bit odd at first, but you came to understand that he actually liked looking and touching them a lot. During moments of complete stillness, he would take your hands in his own and lift it up to his face, his thumbs gently and soothingly rubbing your knuckles. 

He would take your hand whenever you walked beside him, whenever you placed your pen down after copying his notes, whenever you were done eating, practically whenever he could. 

"This colour's nice," he would tell you, referring to the muted colour of your nail polish, lacing his fingers with your own. He looked up at the wall clock that hung above your room door and squeezed your hands. "Otome, I have to get going."

You looked up at Yamaguchi from your little coffee table where you were both studying before turning to the time as well. "Tada-chan, it's—" 

He reached out and gave your head a pat. "My family isn't at home this weekend because they had to go out of town to meet some relatives from overseas. But don't worry, I'll be staying at Tsukki's place. It's been like that since we were kids. He's probably waiting for me since I did say I'd be there at around this time."

"Wh-Why don't you stay here instead?" You squeaked all of a sudden. "Ah! I-I meant— M-My mom said she'd prepare dinner for us s-so at least stay over for dinner!"

The power you had over him was really something else because he would agree with whatever you said and asked of him by gently pleading with woeful eyes and taking hold of his hands. 

"All right. I'll stay for dinner," he smiled as he let out a soft sigh of defeat before finally reaching for his mobile phone from his bag. "You really should stop looking at me that way because I'll never be able to refuse you. I'll just message Tsukki that I'll be coming over a bit late." 

You happily coiled your arms around him, resting your chin on his shoulder. "Thank you, Tada-chan!"

He was quick to take one of your hands in his own, struggling to type a message with the use of a single hand. "Small. You have really small hands." 

"You just have big hands, Tada-chan." 

"Ah, there you two are," your mother poked her head in your room. "Tadashi-kun, stay over for dinner, all right? I hope you're fine with _katsudon_ and steamed vegetables and some homemade milk pudding for dessert!" 

Your eyes were wide with excitement as you watched Yamaguchi's surprised reaction. He had been to your home a lot of times now, but he'd always find himself surprised by the warmth he was always greeted with. 

"I hope I'm not a bother, oba-san," came his sheepish reply. 

"Nonsense, sweetheart," the older woman replied, her Cheshire cat smile so similar to your own that he finally made out the resemblance. "You're always welcome here." 

\-- ✧ --

_**Retroactive Interference (2)** _

Apparently, you and Yamaguchi recalled the start of your relationship differently. Neither of you backed down on the issue and even dragged Tsukishima into the conflict. 

"I know I liked you first," you stated. "I even asked Tsukki-kun about you!"

"That can't be since I asked him about you first," the brunet replied with a laugh. "Isn't that right, Tsukki?"

The blond sighed to himself. "Why does it even matter who liked who first? You like each other now and you're already together anyway, so—"

The orange sky overhead only meant the day was coming to an end. The three of you were conversing on your way home when the question was raised and you stopped right in front of Sakanoshita to make a point. 

"We'll treat you to some meat buns if you answer us truthfully!" You pipped in excitedly. "I'm sure about one thing and it's that I definitely liked you first, Tada-chan!"

Ukai-san wasn't surprised to see the three of you there, even offering you some yogurt treats while the playful banter continued. He listened rather curiously and cluelessly, giving up the thought of figuring it out as you came over to the counter.

"What's the conversation about?" 

"We're trying to remember who liked the other first," you replied with a grin as you handed the payment for two meat buns, one of which the tall blond already ate rather greedily. 

"Looks like Tsukishima's building up an appetite," the older guy laughed. 

"Mm, I think I'm starting to remember," Tsukishima stated cooly. "Ah, no, wait a second. I think I could use a cola, seeing as I've been trying so very hard to remember something that happened a year and a half ago."

Yamaguchi followed that up by grabbing a drink from the vending machine outside the store. You stood before the blond with an eager smile on your face as he was handed a can of cola. 

"You know what," he smirked at you and Yamaguchi as he walked out of the store. "I suddenly realised that I can't really remember clearly who asked about who first. Thanks for the meal, though."

"Tsukki!"

"Tsukki-kun! How mean!" 

"Well, Tsukishima is right about how the past shouldn't matter that much anymore," Ukai-san leaned on the counter. "I think you know you really love a person when some parts of the past are blurred out but your future's absolutely clear. You get what I'm saying?"

You and Yamaguchi were quiet as you listened to the older man, but you stepped up as he tossed you a pack of licorice candy with a grin on his face. "It's good to have a healthy conversation every once in a while, but don't argue all the time, you two."

"Ukai-san, do you have a girlfriend?" You couldn't help but ask. 

He flinched at your question. _Yes,_ he knew where this conversation was going. "Ah, err, no, I don't!"

"I know someone! Let me know if you're interested!" 

"Oi, this isn't about me, kid!" 

\-- ✧ --

_**Lucky Charm** _

The older man was just as surprised as you were when you cheered for Yamaguchi at the same time. He was subbed in to be the pinch server and you couldn't stop your excitement from slipping out of your lips. 

"You can do it, Tada-chan!" 

The bespectacled man turned his head in surprise and saw how intently you fixed your gaze on his pupil, your fists close to your chest as you held your breath and waited for his serve to fly. The bleachers where Karasuno sat was deathly quiet as the ball flew to the other side of the net in an erratic pace, the other team unable to determine where it would land. Your lips quivered to a smile as you admired the charm and anomaly of Yamaguchi's smooth jump float serve. 

"Ah, he's so good," you remarked to yourself. "You're so good at what you do, Tadashi." 

"He is good, isn't he?" The older man grinned at you. "Like a magician's hat." 

"He did say he had a great teacher backing him. He's so cool," you replied with a small smile and tears of joy in your eyes. 

"Ah, well, he has his good teacher and a lucky charm on his side, so it's only natural he'll do well," Shimada-san stated, eyeing his pupil give his third jump float serve. "You must be the girlfriend Tadashi's been talking about." 

"Eh?"

"I figured you were the one since you've been cheering and crying for him for quite a while now," he held out his hand to you. "I'm Shimada, his—"

The gasp that left your lips was almost too dramatic that it even shocked the man next to Shimada-san. You took his hand into your own and shook it rather excitedly. "You're Shimada-san! I-It's nice to meet you! I'm Otome! Tada— Tadashi's, uh..." 

"Lucky charm," the older man smiled at you. "I think anyone who would look at your earnest cheering would definitely feel lucky. Tadashi ought to be thankful." 

Karasuno's cheers filled the air as the opposite team failed to receive another one of Yamaguchi's jump float serves. While you felt your voice be drowned out by the crowd, you knew it reached him perfectly well. 

"Shimada-san's a really good mentor!" You turned to the older man, your eyes shining with so much admiration that it surprised him. 

"He's got a good teacher. But with you there for him, he's got all the luck in the world." 

\-- ✧ --

_**Neutraliser** _

Their last game as third-years was rather painful to watch. 

While you weren't afforded the chance to go to Tokyo, you religiously watched Karasuno's matches online, tears in your eyes as the last whistle sounded and signalled your high school's defeat. You were aware of how gruelling the Spring Tournament was since the club had been through it once before, but it was doubly painful to see your friends look into the blinding lights as they missed their chance at winning the last greatest game of their high school lives. 

_'You did great, captain. You all did great. Keep your head up. Don't forget that everyone's looking up to you now.'_

The text message was short and bittersweet and it did put a halt to Yamaguchi's waterworks. In a reply, he told you that he would see you as soon as they return to Sendai, but you told him not to rush. 

_'They need you now more than anything, captain. I won't go anywhere so don't worry about me.'_

A day after they arrived back from Tokyo, they received a heroes' homecoming from the school. At the end of classes, you came over to the gymnasium with a box of fruitcake as your congratulations to the entire team for a job well done. Surprisingly, there were no more tears when you arrived there, only a lot of leftover energy, particularly from the three other seniors who were spiking balls like there's no tomorrow.

"Ah, it's Otome-senpai!" One of the freshmen saw you peeking in. "Captain!" 

Your relationship to the current captain of the Karasuno Volleyball Club was no secret to its members, after all. Coach Ukai called for a break when you arrived with the fruitcake, but you and Yamaguchi disappeared outside in the quiet to talk. 

"You okay?" 

"Ah, yeah," he quipped, a smile on his face as he reached out for one of your hands. "Thanks for the cake."

"You're welcome."

The silence between the two of you was anything but uncomfortable. You could tell that he was thinking from the way he ran his thumb over the back of your hand, his eyes in the sky as he opened his mouth to speak. 

"I'm pretty sure you knew how much I doubted myself back when the club chose me to become the captain, Otome. I didn't know if I had it in me to follow the steps of Daichi-san and Ennoshita-san. It was a strange feeling."

"But here you are," you replied, taking his other hand as well. "I just can't help but think how you didn't want to be captain at first, but now they all look up to you."

"It's probably because of what you said back then," he looked up for a moment. "I accidentally heard you and Yachi-san talking about the captaincy during the start of our second year and how you thought I was the best choice even though I thought it was... Well..."

_'Tsukki-kun can't be captain, it's just not in his nature to be nice. Kageyama-kun is too strict while Hinata-kun is, well... He's too much of a free spirit to be tied down by something like that. Tada-chan will do well because he's a well-rounded person who gets along perfectly with everyone. He knows how to read a situation and how to respond to it appropriately.'_

"But it wasn't just me who said that!" You said with a small laugh. "You can ask everyone in the club and they'll say the same thing. You give yourself way too little credit, Tada-chan. The club's going to need one like you once you're gone."

"They have a few ideas," he replied with a grin as he let you go before finally stepping back into the gym. "I'll see you later.

You waved at him as you made your way home. "There's no room for doubt anymore, Tadashi. We only need to keep on moving forward."

\-- ✧ --

_**Reset Point** _

Two years of junior college in Tokyo flew by like a breeze. 

It was exactly what you promised to your parents and your homecoming was a fulfilment of that vow. They would let you work under the guidance of your aunt, who chose to stay in Sendai after falling in love with the place, or so she claims. The movers had brought your things to your house much earlier since you had to bid farewell to the friends you made in the city. Part of you couldn't wait any longer and you found yourself boarding a train back to your hometown a day earlier than everyone expected. 

Yes, your arrival back home was so unexpected that your mother nearly forced you out of the house. 

"M-Mama! What's going on?!" 

There were no words from her, but she did try to pull you away from the direction of your bedroom with all her strength, your tussle ending up with both of you crashing into the closed space, startling the familiar figure huddled over something you hadn't seen before. It looked like a piece of furniture, but you weren't entirely sure since you were more enamoured by the dumbfounded look on Yamaguchi's face when he laid eyes on you. 

"Tada-chan!" 

"E-Eh?! Otome! Wh-What are you doing here so—"

The boyfriend you hadn't seen for quite a while was in your bedroom, slaving away over an unfamiliar piece of woodwork and electronics that you were sure he was assembling ahead of your arrival tomorrow. He met your embrace with dusty open arms and was rather hesitant to pull you in because of the dirt on his arms. 

"Tadashi-kun, I'm sorry I couldn't stop her," your mother said with a sigh. "I don't know what's gotten over her that she decided to come home so early!" 

Yamaguchi sighed and smiled, finally closing his arms around your figure. "It's all right, oba-san. It's not like we could've stopped her, anyway." 

"I'll be heading downstairs to prepare lunch. Otome! Behave yourself there! You've caused enough trouble for Tadashi-kun!" 

Your shoulders shook as your mother rattled at how you caused trouble for everyone in this household by your surprise arrival, eliciting a small laugh from the one holding you. 

_Ah,_ how you missed that laugh.

"Well, the surprise is already out of the bag, so have a look at this," he said as he led you to the piece of furniture he was working on, a white wood vanity dresser with a lighted mirror, the bulbs still dim as he was in the middle of wiring it when you suddenly burst into the room. "I'm still working on the lights, though. Remember the uni project I was talking about? This is it!"

A hand was over your lips as you ran another over the smooth white wood, tears pooling in your eyes as you looked at your reflection in the wide mirror, Yamaguchi standing behind you with a smile on his face. 

"I love it," you turned back to him, your eyes shining with tears as you were drawn to another embrace. "Tada-chan, I love you, I love you, I love you."

The dust on his dark overshirt got on your hair and blue overcoat, but you didn't mind a single bit. While she didn't show it much, you could tell that your mother missed you by the lavish meal she prepared for lunch. Two years didn't seem like much for you, but it felt like an eternity for your family. Tokyo kept on moving at a pace in which you tried so hard to keep up with, but Sendai remained suspended in time even after you left. You spent most of the day of your homecoming looking through town with Yamaguchi, even running into Tsukishima, who you had coffee with in the afternoon. The blond matured a bit more compared to his best friend but remained the same cryptic figure when you were all younger. 

"It's either a lot happened or not much happened," he told you with a grin as he took a sip from his cup of dark coffee. "Welcome home, I guess." 

Come evening, you made your way home with the dreamiest smile on your face, your heart full of love like it always should be. "Ahh, it's so good to be home! You know my friends asked me why I wasn't going to stay in Tokyo. They said it was odd that a country girl would want to return to her hometown when a different world awaited in the city." 

"A lot of us are asking that question, Otome," Yamaguchi chuckled as you slipped your hand into his own. "You could've stayed there if you wanted. We can always make adjustments when..."

He was distracted by the look on your face as you started up at the starry night sky, prompting him to raise his eyes as well. What you thought were falling stars turned out to be snow. 

"This is my reset point," you told him resolutely. "I remember when you told me about what Shimada-san taught you ahead of your first Spring Tournament. That you had to focus on something to calm yourself down. I kept it in mind ever since you told me that."

You exhaled, the cool winter air clouding over your face. "Whenever I feel like I'm losing sight of things and my goals, I think of you for a bit and then I'm all right again." 

"Otome..."

"You're my reset point," you squeezed his hand as you grinned at him. "That's why I'm here." 

His eyes were shining and you could tell that he was holding back tears with the way his lips quivered to a grin. "Welcome home, Otome."

Home or away, it didn't really matter. With him, your heart was completely set. All roads would always lead back to where he was since he was your home. 

"I'm home, Tadashi!"


	4. Amorphous || Azumane Asahi

**Amorphous**

_; being without definite character or nature._  
  
\-- ✧ --

_**Knock** _

Your first meeting with Asahi tasted of heavily-shaken boxed lemon tea. 

At first you thought you knocked into a wall when you collided with the tall third-year student. You were in a rush to reach second period after grabbing a boxed tea from the cafeteria. You weren't able to brake properly as you came around the corner, and you swore you felt yourself bounce back at least a few steps as you crashed onto something, landing on your back as your thoughts flew over your head. 

You blinked, a rush of pain and heat searing your forehead as you sat up from the floor. A huge figure loomed over you, a mix of worry and agitation on his face as he reached out for your hand. 

_The wall was alive._

"Are you all right?!" 

_Oh, it wasn't a wall._

"Ah, Otome! There you are!" Your dark-haired friend Ruu came rushing to your side when she realised that you weren't behind her. "What happened?!"

"I bumped into a..." 

That crash definitely did a number on you. You saw Ruu's face turn white as a sheet as you felt something warm drip from your nose. "Oh?"

Crimson droplets slipped through your fingers and dripped onto your skirt and blazer. 

The tall stranger with long hair turned pale as well, his worried expression quickly melding to a look of panic. "C-Clinic! You— We need to go to the clinic!" 

You sniffed and grimaced, sneezing in the process and spurting even more blood on your uniform, shocking him and Ruu to tears. The senpai quickly slipped his arms under your legs and back and lifted you up almost effortlessly.

"Ah! Otome-chan! Hang in there!" Ruu trailed behind the senpai's figure, holding your boxed tea in her hands. 

Somehow it felt like you were being lulled to sleep by the panicked way this senpai carried you off to the clinic. You held back your breath, careful not to get any blood on his uniform as you tried to make out what his face looked like.

_Tall, tan, definitely fit, broad shoulders, awfully wide back—_

You woke up half an hour later with Ruu sobbing beside you, the boxed tea still in her hands. You poked the straw onto the box and somehow the tea tasted way too sweet, or maybe it was just that collision playing with your head. 

"The senpai who brought you here looked awfully concerned. He said it was the first time he encountered someone who bled after bumping into him, so it kinda rattled him!" 

_A senpai, huh?_

It was no surprise to Ruu that you started hunting down that particular senpai, even going as far as stalking the third-year classes to catch sight of him, and you finally found him inside the school gymnasium. It was definitely destiny when you took a peek inside the place and found him flying in front of the volleyball net before slamming down on the ball that approached him. 

_He was glowing._

"Otome, l-let's go before someone sees us!" Ruu tugged at your skirt. She flinched at the sight of another player about to enter the gymnasium. 

"Are you here to see someone?" 

"Who is he?" You quickly turned your attention to the senpai behind you before turning your sight back and pointed to the one that made your nose bleed and your heart race. 

"Why do you wanna know?"

You turned back and gave the senpai another look, taking in the intense gaze on his wide black eyes. He was at least a head taller than you but much shorter than—

"I like him." 

"O-Otome!" Ruu exclaimed, her face red as if she was the one who made a fearless declaration. "Y-You just—" 

The second-year player, who introduced himself as Nishinoya Yuu, was really taken by your confession, but the smile on his lips disappeared as he gently brought a hand to his chin. 

"You know what? You're gonna have to try harder."

"E-Eh?"

"Asahi-san. He's way too gentle for his own good and he'll definitely refuse even such a resolute confession. You're gonna need to knock some sense into him if you wanna prove your point." 

"Prove... my point?"

"Yeah, you'll find out soon enough," he said with a laugh. "Good luck, Otome!" 

You tried not to think much of what Nishinoya said, but it definitely rattled you. 

"Ah, Otome-san! Ruu-san!" It was Hinata who greeted you, a shock of bright red hair and an incredibly warm smile, followed by a scowling Kageyama, who simply asked why you were at the gymnasium. 

"Otome and I are about to head home! W-We were just a bit curious as to how the volleyball club works! R-Right, Otome?" Ruu was pulling at your sleeve now. 

"If you're really interested, you can check out the girls' club instead," the brunet replied. "I think our captain knows the girls' captain. We can at least introduce you."

There was an undeniable twinkle in your eyes as the pair ushered you and your friend into the gymnasium. Hinata started a very animated conversation with you about the basics of volleyball. Surprisingly enough, you were knocked off your feet again by a very large elbow after being drawn by Hinata's energising way of describing the game. You landed on your back again, feeling the heat rise up to your head as a crowd quickly gathered around you. 

"Otome!" 

"O-Otome-san!" 

You slowly sat up and found Hinata, Ruu and Asahi kneeling down beside you, and while you didn't pay much attention to your friends, your blurry vision was quickly drawn to the same worried look on the tall senpai's face like when you first bumped into him. He had his hand behind you as you straightened your back. "Are you okay?! W-We keep on bumping into each other and you keep on getting hurt!" 

_— Brown earnest eyes and a soft stubble on his chin—_

"Senpai, I like you." 

And you said it with such as straight expression that everyone thought you were hit really hard. It didn't take long for the warmth to start dripping from your nose again, startling everyone around you. 

"AAHHH! OTOME-SAN!" 

"C-Clinic! Otome-san!"

Hinata and Kageyama were the ones to rush you to the infirmary, followed closely by a panicking Ruu. "Th-This is why I told you we should go home, Otome! Now you think you're in love with that tall senpai!" 

You were chuckling in Kageyama's arms, woozy as he carried you in a rush. "Ne, Kageyama-kun... That tall senpai... What's his name?" 

You caught the pair exchanging looks as you felt your eyelids drooping from how your head was spinning. 

"He's Azumane Asahi-san, Karasuno's ace," Hinata stated. "You... must think he's pretty cool, huh, Otome-san?" 

_Cool. Yeah_. But cool probably wasn't the right word to describe him. In a single moment, you were able to feel so much softness underneath that rugged exterior and you weren't going to stop until you see it again. The sound of Ruu's sobbing and Hinata and Kageyama's bantering were drowned out by the darkness slowly creeping up your peripheral vision. 

And even though Ruu tried to dissuade you from seeing Asahi again, you came up to him pretty boldly the following day with a cotton ball stuffed in your right nostril. 

"Oh, y-you're Otome-chan, right?" He said rather nervously. You stepped up and presented him with a single boxed tea and a letter, catching him right about to leave his classroom. 

"This is for you, senpai." 

"Wait, you're probably mistaken, right? That... That can't really be for me," he replied with an apprehensive smile. "You probably just bumped into me way too many times now and you think you—"

"W-Wait! Don't say that! I really do mean it!—" 

_'You're gonna need to knock some sense into him if you wanna prove your point.'_

You found yourself running towards him again, launching your figure head-first and smacking into the broadness of his back. Collective groans of pain escaped your lips and his as you found yourself touching the top of your head. He was quick to catch you by your shoulders, seeing as you were still on your feet. 

"O-Otome-chan!" 

"Azumane-senpai! It's not a joke!" You cried out, surprising the two other third years waiting for Asahi to come out. "I really do like you!" 

You wobbled out of his grip and hastily stuffed the tea and crumpled paper in his hands before backing away, a hand over your nose as you shouted at him from afar. "Please don't reject me just yet! Give it careful consideration!" 

While he thought it would take more than a shove to knock him off his feet, you managed to do so with boxed tea and a wrinkled love letter. 

\-- ✧ --

 ** _Mountain Rise_**

"You..." 

Asahi tried not to flinch as you ran your smaller hands over his larger one. You pressed circles with your thumb onto his palm and straightened out every finger by gently pulling at them. 

You were both standing outside the school gymnasium as the ace took a short break. 

"You're pretty good at this," he pleasantly remarked. After he agreed to go out with you, it became a habit for you to come see him between their club activities. You and Ruu were part of the Literature Club, which often held activities that finish up earlier than expected. It gave you enough time to watch even a little bit of the boys' volleyball club's training sessions.

"My grandma often does this for me, especially when I've been writing for quite a while," you replied with a smile. "I'm just imitating her." 

"Still good."

You could tell that he was taking in your features as you continued massaging his hand, gently running your fingers over the numerous calluses lining the heel of his palm. 

_Mountain ranges,_ you thought to yourself. _How many adventures have you been to, Asahi-san?_ They weren't formed overnight. Each one rose and emerged after long and hard toils— so much hard work was put into these that he ought to be proud. 

"Are you weirded out by them?" he asked. "The calluses." 

_Mountains don't rise without earthquakes,_ you noted. _But Asahi-san?_ There was both a mountain and an earthquake inside him all masked by still waters trickling down a steady stream. 

"I'm fascinated by them," you stated. "It's a sign of hard work." 

"It is?"

"Yeah, I have one each on my ring finger and thumb," you raised your right hand. "From holding my pen and writing for too long." 

It was his turn to take your hand in his own. He lowered his eyes to your hands as he gently ran his thumb over the single mound of hardened flesh near the tip of your right ring finger. "What kind of stories are you writing?" 

"Love stories. Adventure. A little bit of drama and comedy."

"You must have written a lot, huh?" he said with a chuckle, lacing his fingers with yours. "Do you have a favourite one?" 

"I like all of my work," you told him, your eyes meeting with his again. "But I think my most favourite story would have to be ours and I didn't even write it." 

Your statement made him blush. Yes, he was happy, but words would never suffice. He simply raised your hands to his lips and brushed kisses on them. "You're really good with words, huh?"

"Just as you are with volleyball," you replied with a smile. "I'll be going ahead now. Please don't forget to message me later."

"Ah, right," he started, watching you closely as you slung your bag over your shoulder. "You... You wanna do anything this weekend?" 

"Hmm. Good question."

"...Like coffee, or a movie?..."

"Asahi-san." 

He leaned down as you beckoned him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before you skipping off, pausing for a moment to answer his question. "Let's go to the mountains."

\-- ✧ --

**_Number One Fan_ **

You loved local matches. 

Unlike the rest of Karasuno's volleyball club members and supporters, you weren't afforded the opportunity to go out of town to watch their matches with other schools. You contented yourself with watching their games online and checking social media, where you saw that Karasuno was slowly and steadily establishing its own fan following after a number of interschool appearances, with most of the attention going to Kageyama, Sugawara-senpai, Sawamura-senpai, Tsukishima, and even Hinata, who was called Karasuno's "flying sunshine boy". 

Locally-held matches gave you the chance to support the club and see them in action before your very eyes. Watching them online was nice, but seeing the game unfold at that very moment thrilled you beyond words. You and Ruu stood contentedly on the bleachers of the local gymnasium, happily cheering on your classmates as they shuffled into the court, stunning the crowd with their black and orange uniforms. 

"Ooooi! Otome-san! Ruu-san!" Karasuno's #10 was waving at the two of you from the court, a wide smile on his face as he beckoned Kageyama to turn to where you were. The brunet threw you a small wave as you waved back at them. 

"Hinata-kun! Kageyama-kun! Tsukishima-kun! Yamaguchi-kun!" You called out to the first years. "Good luck!" 

The blond player turned to your direction with a strange glower, surprising both you and Ruu. Hinata was quick to see the usually snide Tsukishima's face turn a bit red. "Oh! Tsukishima's blushing!"

You laughed alongside Ruu, who was particularly excited by the local match. 

"Otome!" Nishinoya waved at you as well, followed by Tanaka, who was promptly getting pumped before the game started. 

"Good luck, Nishinoya-senpai! Tanaka-senpai!" 

From the sidelines, the sophomore tapped their ace's shoulder and pointed at your direction. You gave him a wide smile, which he replied with a rather bashful one before trailing Nishinoya's steps. 

You loved him, all right. _Gosh_ , you loved him. 

The sound of female chattering and whispers distracted you, your ears prickling to eavesdrop on a conversation unfolding behind you and Ruu. You weren't one for listening to other people's talk, but it piqued your attention since the women behind you were talking about how amazing the Karasuno players were. 

"Karasuno's #2 and #9 are cute!"

"Their #11 looks almost otherworldly. Look at that face!"

"Look at #1's arms. I would like some of that in my life!"

"Oh, now that you mentioned it, Karasuno's #3 is pretty cute when he smiles, huh?" 

_Ah,_ a woman of culture, that one. 

"Ehh? I still think he's a bit too scary!"

Your grip on the railings suddenly tightened, surprising Ruu. 

"Haaa? Who the hell are you calling scary, you dirty old hags?" You shot the women a deadly glance that startled them enough to make them leave their seats. 

"O-Otome! Y-Your face is—" 

Nishinoya was grinning as he looked up at your direction, seeing the sharpness of your grim expression from the court. "Otome's way too protective, you know. She would bare her fangs at anyone who says Asahi-san is scary. She's the real scary one!" 

"Asahi-san!" You called out all of a sudden, prompting the ace and the rest of his teammates to look your way. "Do your best!" 

Your gentle cheer earned you another soft smile and a wave from him, and you could hear Nishinoya and Tanaka calling you to cheer them on as well. 

The captain gave their ace a gentle punch to the shoulder. "Be grateful, Asahi. Come hell or high water, you've got yourself a mad defender."

Sugawara was smiling as well. "She's not just a girlfriend, huh? She's your number one fan."

\-- ✧ --

**_Adrenaline Rush_ **

The sweetness of the boxed tea you sipped wasn't enough to abate the pain you felt everytime you moved your eyes even in the slightest way. It was the first break in the morning, your hand flying up to your forehead as Ruu approached you in the corridors with knotted brows. 

"What's that on your forehead, Otome?" She swatted your hand away, beholding the purplish smudge that was smack in the middle of your forehead. It was your turn to swat her hand away, your grip on the juice box you were sipping gently tightening. 

"It's a bruise! I bonked my head against something yesterday."

"Whatever it was, it's awfully high," she smirked at you as you reached out to playfully pinch her side. She pulled at the sleeves of your blazer and tugged you into a hug. "Don't get too ahead of yourself, Otome!"

A huff of laughter left your lips as you hugged her back, but you both froze on your positions when a pair of familiar figures appeared from around the corner of the slightly crowded school hallway. 

"A-Azumane-senpai! What's that on your forehead?! It's—"

Two of the Karasuno Volleyball Club's third years paused on their tracks as they made their way back to their classroom. You ducked away from the silver-haired senior, your head caught in a lock in Ruu's arm. 

"Aah, I accidentally hit something yesterday," the taller guy replied rather nervously, the same purplish blot on his forehead as a hand flew up to the back of his head. 

"It's pretty obvious that they were trying to kiss but accidentally hit each other a bit too hard," Sugawara stated with a grin as he heartily slapped the ace's broad back. "It's a good thing you and Otome-chan aren't from the same class, Asahi. People would definitely notice." 

"Sugawara-san already noticed it so it's no use trying to hide it, Otome!" 

\-- ✧ --

_**The Ties that Bind** _

You paid no mind to the dryness of your mouth as you breathlessly entered the school gymnasium, fresh out of your own club activities with a handful of loose sheets of paper hastily stuffed into your bag. 

"Ah! Shimizu-san! Am I too late?!"

The Karasuno Volleyball Club's managerial team whipped their heads to the gymnasium door as you made your entrance, obviously in a rush to get there after receiving a panicked message from your boyfriend and your classmate Hinata. Coach Ukai called for a timeout even though they were only a few minutes into the game.

"I'm so sorry, Asahi-san!" You gave him and the rest of the group a deep bow. "I wasn't careful!"

The young men were all in their casual yellow practice uniforms, trying their hardest to stifle their laughter as they gathered around their ace

"Ah, it's fine, Otome," he beckoned you to raise your head. 

"Otome-chan, it's good you arrived!" The third-year setter exclaimed. "I was having such a hard time taking him seriously with that lovely hair piece of his!"

Asahi had been to your place the day before, falling asleep rather peacefully after you brushed his hair for him. He hurriedly grabbed the nearest one he could use when he was on his way home, not realising he had one of yours instead of his own. You fished out his plain hair tie from your bag. "Here you go."

"I'm sorry I took your fancy scrunchie," he replied with a smile as he unfurled the bun on his head, placing your misplaced rainbow scrunchie in your open hands. "Though I have to say... Even though everyone was laughing at me, it feels a lot nicer compared to my normal hair tie." 

He took the plain hair tie from your hand and redid his bun. Coach Ukai gave his last few pointers to the team before finally calling for the game to be resumed. Everyone in the gymnasium was caught by absolute surprise when Asahi bent down and brushed a rather hurried kiss on your cheek before running back to the court. 

"I'll message you later!" He exclaimed, your face bright red as you slowly tried to slink out of the gymnasium. 

"Aaahh! Asahi-san! Stop showing off your oh so sweet relationship! I'm gonna die right here!" You heard Tanaka declare loudly, his shouting followed closely by Nishinoya, who said something along the lines of _'I want a cute girlfriend NOW!'_

A sigh left your lips as it gently curved to a smile, the gym door shut close behind you now. While you were aware of ties that broke when stretched to its limits, you were aware that you definitely bound tightly with this one. 

\-- ✧ --

_**Code of** **Honou** **r** _

"Asahi-san, why are you so nervous?"

How would he not be nervous when you're alone with him in your bedroom? He sat seiza across the small coffee table you had, a plate with slices of Castella and two cups of tea set upon it. Today was one of those very rare days in which the Volleyball Club had the afternoon to themselves, a short reprieve from their daily routine of school and training. 

"They say that a sweet thing tasted too often is no longer sweet," you looked up from your book for a second, eyeing his tense form. He had his eyes on you ever since you started studying, trying his best not to distract you from it. 

You were told of his lack of plans for the future before, back when Daichi-san and Sugawara-san were filling out their college application forms on their own without Asahi. The three of them were inseparable at best, so the vagueness of the ace's future was something even two of his closest friends had no power over. While they did try to convince him to reconsider his rather reckless course of action, even using you as their point of reason, he was still deadset on finding things out on his own. 

For whatever it was worth, you loved him and supported him through what was probably a confusing period for him. You were certain that you wanted a future with him and you would leave him to figure things out on his own for but a moment. However, it looked more like he was the one who was ready to leave. 

"Asahi-san, how many children would you like in the future?" 

The question made him flinch on his spot, but he managed to smile at you. "Is it for your lessons? Or are you asking me as your boyfriend?"

The mere thought of a future without him was enough to render you to tears. It was selfish and silly to think that he would let himself be tied down to something as trivial as your relationship. 

"I think two children would be an economically smart choice," he replied, finally relaxing from his stiff position. "Or maybe three? Just to have a happy house."

Asahi was quick to catch you as you threw yourself in his arms, your quiet sobbing enough for him to hold you close. He brought his hands to your face and softly ran his thumbs over your damp cheeks. For a moment, you could tell that he was marvelling at the smoothness of your cheeks and the way your nose glowed red as you cried to yourself. 

"Asahi-san! Wh-what if I—"

"Otome, I'm not gonna force you into something you aren't comfortable with, you know," he stated firmly. "Please settle with hugs until you're ready."

He was pretty much the most solid person you've ever seen, yet he was so quick to slip past your fingers every time you tried to take hold of him. You loved him, though, and wondered endlessly how much uncertainty that sturdy thing of a body contained. 

"You're the one who's not ready!"

He may not have plans for the future yet, but you knew for a fact that he was a man of his word. 

\-- ✧ --

_**Muse** _

You were his favourite model. 

His life apart from his job as an apparel designer for a local brand consisted of you as the model for the clothes he designed himself. It wasn't much for others, but you made a little home out of the apartment you shared, part of which became Asahi's own atelier. The area was spacious enough for his figure to move around freely, scraps of threads and fabrics scattered all over the vinyl floor. 

Asahi ran an anonymous Instagram account with a rather large amount of followers, varying from true clients to young people who think his pieces are fine, floaty and dreamy and perfect for coffee dates in the city. Most of his followers believed you were the designer since you were the one modelling the pieces, all the photos lacking your headshot since you didn't want anyone to see your face. 

He liked the anonymity that came with his work. He had a number of clients who preferred to have bespoke suits made by him rather than purchasing ready to wear pieces. You would know a client was there for measurements by the way they spoke and how they would rattle out fabric names and colours from across the apartment— _tulle, satin, corduroy, pearl, cobalt, slate, alabaster_ — forever baffled at how Asahi managed to differentiate all of those with but a single look and feel. His clients were men and women with eyes for beauty and they knew good work when they saw it. 

He had rich clients as well, and they often came around with various desserts in tow. French macarons, exotic herbal tea, creamy pastries and the odd cake, most of which he would leave to you to consume. 

For the two of you, life was good and it probably couldn't get any better, too. As a novelist, you also liked the anonymity that came with your work, and you settled into your little corner of paradise in your home whenever inspiration was running high. 

It was an unusual sight, but Asahi rose a bit earlier today, a silk ribbon around his head like a headband as he peeked into your tiny office, papers strewn all over the floor. "Hey, baby love. You awake?"

"Mmmmm," came the drawn-out reply from your weary lips as you managed to turn to him. "I'm alive." 

"Help me out a bit here," he told you with a grin, pulling out the measuring tape from his pants pocket. "Let me take your measurements real quick, babe."

You furiously rubbed your fists over your eyes as you stood up from your seat, getting on your toes as you raised your hands over your head. The oversized hoodie you wore rose and fell as you stretched and started walking out of your den. "Mmmcoming."

"Looks like you had an energising run. Wrote a lot?" 

You trailed his steps, eyeing his tall form as a yawn left your mouth. As you walked into the atelier, tiptoeing as you walked past the stray threads and pins, Asahi presented a long beige peach skirt dotted with a number of tiny handmade ribbon flowers in white. He helped you into it, unzipping the sides as you pulled up your hoodie to your chest. 

"You know, Asahi-san, it's not like my measurements change every day," you said with a laugh as you lifted your arms, his larger ones circling around your figure as he held the measuring tape around your waist. He leaned down and brushed a kiss on your head, a small laugh pressed against your messy hair as he felt your arms around his torso. Mornings like these were something you cherished. He rested his weight against you for a moment, the texture of his beige pullover brushing against your cheek. 

"Oh, right. Make sure you check the pockets before you return it on the rack," he stated, gently breaking your embrace. "I'll prepare some tea now that you're awake." 

"Ah, sure," you replied rather absentmindedly, patting the skirt pockets to feel for anything you were sure wasn't there, but you felt it. "Wait, Asahi-san, you left a—"

The shock and incomprehensible surprise you felt when you fished out the contents from the pocket and found a golden ring with a single diamond mounted on it left you way too speechless to even say anything. _What the heck was happening?_

"Find anything?" He called out from across the atelier. 

"Y-Yeah!" Your voice shook. "I-It's a—" 

Asahi was leaning on the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a rather pleased smile on his face as he saw how completely baffled you were, the ring still in your hand. 

"Wh-What is this?"

"A proposition," he replied, reaching out for your hand as he made his approach. The golden band was taken from your hand and gently slipped into your left ring finger, fitting just perfectly. "Be my muse for the rest of our lives?"

"Ah..." Your right hand flew up to your mouth as you felt your lips tremble, warm tears pooling in the corners of your eyes as you looked up at his face. 

"B-Baby, what's the matter?" Asahi brought his hands to your face, a look of defeat on his own as he let out a soft sigh. "Was my proposal that bad?" 

You shook your head, gently gripping his wrists as you broke out into a smile. The tears streamed down your cheeks and over his fingers. "I'll be your muse forever even if you didn't ask."


	5. Wine-Dark Sea || Sawamura Daichi

**Wine-Dark Sea**

\-- ✧ --

_**Hiding Spot** _

It was no secret to Sugawara and Azumane that Daichi had a soft spot for you. They were glad to have a good friend in you while having someone who kept their captain grounded, though they did have a hard time trying to get the two of you together at first. 

Daichi, who emerged as the leader among the three of them, soon became the club's most rock-solid foundation moving forward

You were initially approached by Sugawara to become their club manager, but you promptly refused, seeing as you were already involved in the Literature Club. It was a club you remained with until your third year as well, eventually becoming part of its own foundation after sticking with it through its highs and lows. While Ruu insisted that you take up the role of club president, it was something you had to refuse in favour of something else. 

When the stories were finished, the writers take a break. But when the games were over, where does the captain of the team go to hide even for but a moment?

It was already around evening time when your phone buzzed on your desk, the LED light signifying an unopened message sent just moments ago. 

_'I'm outside your house.'_

Most of your family was already asleep at that time, so you were careful as you opened the front door, beckoning the figure in black standing outside the gates to come it. 

"Dai-chan?" You smiled as you gently closed the door behind you. The sombre look on his face always pulled at your heartstrings, part of you now wishing you could whisk away his pain in the swiftest way possible. "Is everything okay?" 

Daichi was a fortress, and he held everything together in place even at the cost of his own stability. The people around him couldn't find out, though... He couldn't let them know how he had to consider how everyone else was feeling before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

You brought a cool hand to his face and ran your thumb over his warm cheek. "You look exhausted." 

His lips curved to a small smile as he bent down and rested his head on your shoulder, the softest of sighs leaving his lips. "Just... let me recharge a bit." 

"Take as long as you need," you murmured as you coiled your arms around him, bringing a hand to the warmth of his nape as the other one gently ran over the broadness of his back. His shoulders were too wide for you not to notice how he trembled, the faintest of sobs escaping his pursed lips. "Daichi, I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of all of you."

When the games were finished, Daichi hid well in the stillness of the night, within the arms of his favourite hiding spot. 


	6. Fleur Vanille || Ennoshita Chikara

**Fleur Vanille**

\-- ✧ --

  
 _ **Ratio** _  
  
A pool date in autumn was unheard of, but you liked the idea because it meant there were fewer people around the area. As expected, there were no crowds on that weekend, just the odd mother and child pair, a little group of old women and some young swimmers up early for their training.  
  
"I told you it was a good idea," you nudged your boyfriend, who was carrying a training bag in his hands and a colourful backpack over his shoulder. He was quick to trail your steps as you claimed a plastic bench as your own. "Let's stay here."  
  
It had been a year since you started going out with the Karasuno Volleyball Club's Ennoshita Chikara, your confession taking him and the rest of the second years by complete surprise. Tanaka and Nishinoya held a small grudge over the incident, but it didn't really last long seeing as their friend was absolutely happy. The club was quick to warm up to you, though, especially since you made your presence known every time they had local matches by cheering them on and bringing them light snacks they can feed on during their downtime.  
  
You were already in your swimsuit, a heavy grey wool cardigan and faded denim shorts over your figure to shield you from the autumn morning breeze. He placed your belongings on the seat as you excitedly eyed the pool, waters still calm as you counted the small number of people swimming. You had just slipped out of the woolly article when you felt hands around your waist all of a sudden, prompting you to turn your head over shoulder.  
  
"Chi-kun? Is something wrong?"  
  
Ennoshita had his eyes on your form rather intently, his grip on your waist easing as he pressed a palm on the gentle curve of your back. The heat of his fingers seeped through the fabric of your single-piece swimsuit, the muted colour probably something he didn't really pay much mind to.  
  
"A girl's form really is more elegant than a guy's," he stated, his brows knitting as he ran one hand over your spine, gently gripping the base of your nape. The look in his eyes wasn't that of a hot-blooded youth, but of a sparked genuine curiosity. "Much... softer, too."  
  
"Is a girl's body so strange to you, Chi-kun?"  
  
His trance-like thoughts were broken when he realised how still you were in his hands. He quickly released you from his grip, his hands disappearing behind his figure. "A-Ah! I'm sorry, Otome! I didn't—"  
  
Your lips curled to a smile as you bundled your cardigan in your arms, the blush dusted on his cheeks far too obvious for you to just ignore. "You don't have to apologise for anything, dearest. But if you're curious about anything else, you know I can always lend you a helping hand."


	7. Licorice Hearts || Ukai Keishin

**Licorice Hearts**

\-- ✧ --

_**New Face** _

The drive to the countryside was something you took a lot of pleasure in and it was a rather surprising change of pace for you. The head of the publishing company you were signed under had suggested for you to take a break after the release of your second novel, something to knock you out of your burnout and writer's block. While your editor didn't take it nicely, you took off at the slightest hint of a break and made your way home to sunny Sendai, where it was worth noting that the place remained suspended in time even after you left many years ago.

You heard from your older sister that your niece ended up going to Karasuno High School rather than heading to Aoba Johsai like what you thought, especially since that's where you and her mother graduated. They still found it hard to shake off the trail of words that had your family wrapped around its finger so easily. The girl was young and in love with writing, very much so that it reminded you of how you were when you were younger. When you arrived at the home your sister shared with her family, you were greeted by your niece and a young man who hovered around her outside the gates.

"Ah, Otome oba-chan!" she called out as you got out of your little car. The girl had the widest smile on her face as you approached, your coat and long skirt whipping in the wind.

"Hello, kiddo," you replied with a grin, meeting her embrace as you playfully hit her head with a fist. "And don't call me oba-chan. I'm not that old."

"I have to call you oba-chan! You're my aunt!" the younger girl whined in your arms. "Ah, this is my boyfriend! He's part of our school's volleyball club."

"Oh, you play volleyball, huh?" you remarked, eyeing the younger man. He definitely had the appearance and the physique of a player, even more so with the dark sweater that proudly declared his affiliation with the club. He gave you a prompt bow as he introduced himself.

"Don't go putting my niece in harm's way, all right?" you gave him a smile as you pocketed your car keys and made your way into the house.

"She's the one you always talk about, right? The writer," the young man stated rather curiously.

"Ah, well, she's actually much cooler in mama's stories," the girl replied with a crooked grin. "I better get in. They might call me for dinner or somethi— Oh, Otome oba-chan?"

You made your way out of the gate once again. "If you kids have nothing better to do, why not accompany me to the store?"

Your niece was in high school now and you couldn't help but recalled how thrilled you were when she was first born years ago. You disliked being called oba-chan since you were only around ten years older than her, but it grounded you and reminded you of the fact that you were an adult that had to deal with adulthood pangs now. She idolised you greatly as well, even evoking some kind of jealousy from her mother ever since the child declared that she wanted to be just like you. It was a small and hard grudge to hold, but your older sister nevertheless relented, knowing for a fact that free spirits can't be tied down so easily.

They tried it once before and failed, after all. Now, your family has a renowned author as a daughter in their midst, and you came home like the prodigal son did, all your achievements meaning much but way too late.

"Ah, will you be staying with us, oba-chan?" Your niece asked, ever the inquisitive child that she was. You had to admit that she looked good in the Karasuno uniform.

"No, I'll be renting out," you replied, twiddling with the object in your skirt pocket as you walked along the road. "Can't add to your mama's headache anymore seeing as she has you and your siblings to take care of. My editor found me a good place to stay somewhere in town, but I'll be coming over for meals every once in a while."

"Whoa, you even had to rent an apartment, huh?" she said, walking alongside you as her boyfriend took steps behind. "How long will you be staying in Sendai?"

"Hmm," came the low hum from you. You weren't given a specific timeframe on when you had to go back to Tokyo, but you assumed you had most of your time to yourself seeing as it was a well-deserved break. "Depends on how long 'til inspiration comes again. Now, how has your writing been?"

"Oh, well, I've decided to write a bit about..."

Your niece was an idealist just like when you were younger, and while you wanted to spare her from the heartache of how reality breaks down visionaries, you figured she needed to experience all of it for her own self-growth.

"Now here we are!" The three of you stopped in front of the Sakanoshita Store and made your way in. A smile graced your face as you realised the quaint little store retained its charm even after all these years. "You two grab some snacks. I'll pay."

"Ah, Ukai-san! Good evening!"

You didn't pay much attention when your niece and her boyfriend started chattering with the store attendant, making your way to where the iced candy treats were. From the looks of it, they were pretty well-acquainted with each other and you were quick to flash a smile and a wave when the younger girl pointed at your direction, the attendant suddenly dropping his unlighted cigarette in surprise. You tossed the children two packs of Gari Gari Kun popsicles while taking one for your own, heading to the counter to pay up.

"I'll have a pack of Marlboro Ice as well," you told the man behind the counter before turning back to the giggling pair. "You want anything else?"

"Ukai-san, this is my auntie," the younger girl happily pipped as she munched on her popsicle. "She's not new to the town, but she's been gone for quite a while so maybe she kinda is new here?"

"Figured she was a new face," Ukai said with a chuckle. "Your niece is quite the pipsqueak, isn't she?"

"She is," you replied with a smile. You knew exactly what she was doing and you liked it. It was a reckless thought, but you needed a bit of a thrill right now and this man looked like one hell of an adventure. "Since I'm a not so new face here, would you care to show me around?"

The younger pair was giggling from behind you. "Ukai-san, say yes!"

"A-Ah, yeah, sure!" He fumbled all of a sudden, hurriedly reaching for the pack of cigarettes you requested.

"I'm Otome. I guess you can say I'm a new face pipsqueak as well," you stated with a warm smile as you held out your hand to him. "Nice to make your acquaintance, um..."

"Ukai Keishin," he replied with a grin as he turned over the pack of cigarettes and a yellow mini-lighter to your outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you, new face pipsqueak."


End file.
